CFTC to Host Cryptocurrency CEO Forum to Discuss Digital Asset Market Pilot Program

April 22: Bitcoin topped $77k, up 1.81% in 24 hours, per HTX market data.

On April 22, President Trump nominated Christopher Waller to chair the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). The nomination fills the vacancy left by former chair Stephen Moore, who assumed the role of Federal Reserve Board Governor in 2025. It has been submitted to the U.S. Senate for confirmation. Waller holds a PhD in economics from the University of Chicago and an undergraduate degree from Duke University. He previously served as a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis and is currently an economics professor at the University of Minnesota, specializing in macroeconomic theory, incentive mechanisms, and inequality in game theory.

April 22 — Russia’s State Duma has passed the “Digital Financial Assets” bill, legalizing cryptocurrency in the country, per Cryptopolitan. The Central Bank of Russia will serve as the primary regulator, tasked with issuing licenses, approving or rejecting crypto exchanges, and determining transaction legality. Cryptocurrency will be classified as property but cannot be used for domestic payments for goods or services — the ruble (including the digital ruble) remains Russia’s only legal tender. Businesses may use cryptocurrency for foreign trade settlements, particularly amid sanctions. The bill is set to be fully enacted by July 1, 2026. At that point, ordinary Russians will be able to legally purchase digital assets through licensed intermediaries. Investors will be categorized as qualified or unqualified: unqualified investors must pass a test and face an annual purchase cap of 300,000 rubles (roughly $4,000), as proposed by the Central Bank.

April 22 — Singapore’s Monetary Authority (MAS) has released a consultation paper proposing a more crypto-friendly regulatory capital framework for assets on permissionless (public) blockchains, ahead of implementing the Basel Committee’s crypto asset capital requirements, per Caixin. The current Basel framework is widely viewed as overly strict in classifying public blockchain assets, a stance that could hinder banking innovation. Basel splits crypto assets into two groups: Group 1 includes tokenized traditional assets and stablecoins (with lower capital requirements), while Group 2 covers assets failing to meet Group 1 criteria. MAS aims to avoid a one-size-fits-all classification of permissionless blockchain crypto assets as Group 2. Instead, it will allow these assets to qualify for Group 1 status (lower risk weights, more lenient prudential rules) if they meet a set of foundational principles — a move to achieve regulatory technology neutrality. For Singapore-incorporated

April 22 — Per GMGN monitoring, the Solana-based meme coin MAGA (Make Aliens Great Again) briefly topped $25 million in market cap and hit a new all-time high before pulling back. It currently trades with a ~$19.3 million market cap, up 186% in 24 hours, on ~$8.1 million in volume. Since April 17, when former President Trump publicly announced plans to declassify government files related to UFOs, UAPs, and potential alien life, the related narrative has gained traction — and MAGA’s market cap has skyrocketed from under $50,000. BlockBeats notes: Meme coin trading is extremely volatile, driven heavily by market sentiment and concept hype, with no tangible value or real-world use case. Investors are advised to exercise caution due to these risks.

April 22 — Etherealize, the institutional marketing and product arm of the Ethereum ecosystem, has set a long-term price target of $250,000 for ETH, describing the token as a unique asset in monetary history. The firm’s report did not specify a target date for the prediction, marking a sharp drop from its prior $740,000 per token target—first unveiled in its inaugural public statement last year. Etherealize’s core argument is that ETH functions as both a store of value (like Bitcoin and gold) and a productive asset capable of generating returns. The Ethereum blockchain secures its network via a proof-of-stake consensus mechanism. Gold and Bitcoin currently hold a combined currency premium of roughly $31 trillion. If Ethereum were to capture a similar premium, its implied price would exceed $250,000 given its current circulating supply of 121 million ETH.